The Cowboys got exactly what they needed in Week 4: a road win, a little breathing room, and a finish that didn’t leave them staring at another gut punch.
Dallas outlasted Houston 34-30 in a game that kept swinging back and forth, but the Cowboys made the decisive push when it mattered. Dak Prescott led the game-winning drive, CeeDee Lamb put together a career day, and the defense did enough late to close it out after a shaky start.
That matters a lot after last week’s last-second heartbreak. At 1-2, with a difficult stretch looming, dropping to 1-3 would have put Dallas in an early hole. Instead, the offense delivered and the defense found just enough answers to leave Houston with the win.
The opening quarter wasn’t clean. Houston came out and rolled through an eight-play, 85-yard drive that ended with a Nico Collins touchdown from C.J.
Stroud. Collins, back after a two-game absence, beat DaRon Bland off the line, while Caleb Downs carried the underneath crossing route and left Bland in one-on-one coverage.
That turned into an easy score.
From there, the Cowboys’ defense finally steadied itself in the second quarter and forced back-to-back three-and-outs. It wasn’t perfect, but after the rough opening, they at least gave the offense a chance to settle in.
Dallas didn’t always cash those chances in. Brandon Aubrey ended up trotting out four different times, connecting from 39 and 50 yards before Will Anderson Jr. blocked a 62-yard try and Aubrey missed from 65. Aubrey can’t be blamed for the miss, but the bigger issue was the offense failing to turn those opportunities into touchdowns.
There was at least one major bright spot on defense beyond the final stop: Rashan Gary. Dallas has been looking for someone to make an impact as a pass-rusher, and Gary finally did it.
He picked up his first sack of the season in the second quarter by chasing Stroud down for a short loss. Later, he helped end a drive late in the first half by forcing pressure that led Stroud to throw it away, which held Houston to a field goal and kept the game tight at 13-6.
The other headline was Joey Porter Jr.’s debut. Dallas’ recent acquisition didn’t just play; he made a strong first impression.
Porter was on the field for 24 of the Cowboys’ 52 defensive snaps, or 46.2%, and didn’t allow a catch. Next Gen Stats had Stroud targeting him just once in 19 snaps of pass coverage, and the Texans largely stayed away from him when he was on the field.
Porter said the biggest challenge right now is learning Christian Parker’s defense, but he’s already getting help in that process.
“Communication, that’s the biggest thing. Communication,” Porter said.
For all the moving parts in this one, Dallas walked away with a result that can change the mood around the team fast. And there’s not much time to enjoy it.
With the short week ahead, the Cowboys are already being tabbed as heavy favorites at home against Tampa Bay on Thursday night. According to FanDuel, Dallas is a 9.5-point favorite against a Buccaneers team that is 0-4 and has lost Baker Mayfield for at least a few weeks if not more.
In Other News...
Joey Porter Jr. Changed Houstons Entire Plan In Cowboys Debut
Joey Porter Jr. arrived in a Cowboys uniform for Week 4 against the Houston Texans and immediately altered the way Houston approached the passing game. The cornerback, acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers, logged 24 defensive snaps in his season and Dallas debut, and the Texans quickly showed they wanted little part of testing him in coverage.
Instead of leaning on his side, Houston largely steered its attention toward other Dallas cornerbacks, leaving Porter matched up against the Texans top receiver without a target. He was thrown at once and did not allow a completion, a small sample to be sure, but one that suggested the Cowboys may already have added a defender offenses are going to notice right away. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Let One Cowboys Receiver Take Over When It Mattered Most
CeeDee Lamb made sure the Cowboys left Houston with a win, turning a tight road game into a showcase for Dallas top pass catcher. In a 34-30 victory over the Texans, Lamb piled up 17 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown, the kind of workload that kept Dallas moving when it needed it most and helped deliver the team its second win of the season.
The volume was as striking as the production, with Lambs 17 receptions tying him for the seventh-most in a single NFL game. For a Cowboys offense still looking for consistency, the performance was a reminder of how quickly one receiver can tilt a game when the situation demands it, even if the bigger question is how often Dallas can lean on that kind of night going forward. [Read more 🡒]
CeeDee Lamb Sent A Strong Message On Brian Schottenheimer
CeeDee Lambs afternoon against the Texans already stood out as one of the biggest individual performances of his career, and the timing made it even more meaningful for a Cowboys offense that needed a lift. His 17 catches for 189 yards and the game-winning touchdown helped Dallas escape with a 34-30 victory, a result that offered a much-needed jolt after the frustration of the previous week.
Brian Schottenheimer was part of the backdrop to all of it. The Cowboys offensive coordinator had taken heat after the loss to the Ravens, but Lamb made sure his support was public once the win was in hand. For a Dallas team trying to stack good weeks together, the message mattered almost as much as the result, especially with Tampa Bay waiting on Thursday Night Football. [Read more 🡒]